INFLUENCE OF POLIO IMMUNIZATION MEDIA CAMPAIGNS ON KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE OF LAFIA RESIDENTS TOWARDS IMMUNIZATION

CHAPTER ONE

Background to the Study

Poliomyelitis which is often called polio or infantile paralysis is an infectious disease caused by the poliovirus. Poliovirus is transmitted from one person to another by oral contact with secretions or faecal material from an infected person. Most poliovirus infections cause asymptomatic viral replication that is limited to the alimentary tract.

Poliomyelitis a feared disease in the world due to its tragic legacy of paralysis and deformity. Nigeria is one of only 3 countries globally that is yet to interrupt and eradicate this endemic. Polio cases in Nigeria increased steadily from 2009 to 2012. In 2012, Nigeria accounted for 50% of total global polio cases and contributed 95% of cases in the World Health Organisation (WHO) African Region. In 2013 (provisionally as of 11 March 2014), Nigeria contributed 13.1% of the 406 global case burden and 33.1% of cases from polio-endemic countries.

Experts are of the opinion that the pandemic is more pronounced in the northern part of the Nigeria of which Nasarawa state is part. Because of this, various campaign programmes through mass media have been initiated by both the government and the non-governmental organisations which are aimed at eradicating the polio virus. According to Umezurike (2017), in polio-endemic countries such as Nigeria, supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) for the house-to-house delivery of oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV) remain the major strategy to deliver oral poliovirus vaccines to all eligible children. This according to him is because multiple doses of oral poliovirus vaccine are needed to develop adequate immunity in the children in countries in which polio is highly endemic. Based on this, every child less than five years of age has to be reached with oral poliovirus vaccine during each supplementalimmunizationactivity, irrespective of immunization history.

Despite the huge amount of money, materials and human resources invested in the process of disseminating information about the dangers of poliomyelitis the primary purpose of these messages remain comprehension. Resistance by the general population appears to prevent acceptance of this programme especially in the northern part of the country. Misconceptions and myths regarding the vaccine, concern about its ill effects and lack of awareness about poliomyelitis and plus polio immunization (PPI) are the major obstacles.

According to Yahaya (2016), overt refusals accounted for 24% of missed children in high-risk areas of Nigeria, and more than one third of polio case patients were from families that refused oral poliovirus vaccine (OPV). Furthermore, in most northern states like Sokoto, Nasarawa and Kano, more than two thirds of polio cases were from households in which oral poliovirus vaccine was refused (hereafter referred to as, “refusal households”). Similarly, 57% of all polio cases in 2012 were reported from four states with the highest rate of refusals (Nasarawa, Sokoto, Kano, and Katsina). As was seen previously, if not adequately addressed, a rise in polio cases in states with high rates of oral poliovirus vaccine refusal has the potential to put the polio-free status of surrounding African countries at risk (Azubuike, 2015).

Oral poliovirus vaccine refusal in northern Nigeria became pronounced in 2003, when community leaders (predominantly Muslim clerics) rejected the oral poliovirus vaccine. Five northern states in Nigeria banned the administration of the polio vaccine, alleging that the vaccine was a Western plot to sterilize women in Nigeria, contained human immunodeficiency virus, and was contaminated with chemicals. The ban, which was supported by the Sharia Council of Nigeria, forced the WHO to cancel several planned national polio supplementary immunization activities in the affected states.

Recognizing the persistent problem of oral poliovirus vaccines refusals in northern Nigeria, the 24th Polio Expert Review Committee, at its September 2012 meeting, recommended that social research be conducted to better understand the reasons for oral poliovirus vaccines refusal, to provide well-informed and tailored solutions to counter oral poliovirus vaccines refusals (Musa, 2011). The result of the study indicated that there is lack of proper awareness programmes on the dangers of oral poliovirus vaccines refusal. It was then advised that there is need for initiation of campaign programmes with the use of local dialects to enhance public awareness on this epidemic.

However, most parents in Lafia metropolis do not take these messages serious. Most of them make caricature of the messages. To buttress this further, Okoro (2009: p, 39) stated that most parents do not take polio messages serious. They believe that the messages are one of the government propagandas. That is why most of them still have children with poliomyelitis as most of them do not often care to send their children to health centres for immunisations.

 Statement of the Problem

The campaign for immunisation against poliomyelitis has involved the use of various mass communication channels such as radio, television, magazines, newspapers, Bill board and internet websites. The federal ministry of health has been engaging in a lot of media campaigns and health talks to educate the public on the causes of poliomyelitis and the possible measures that can be taken to eradicate it.

However, in Nasarawa State, recent statistics show that the rate at which the virus spreads mostly among children is still high, despite the constant media campaigns to eradicate polio. This therefore brings to question the attitude of the target audience towards the polio campaign messages in the media. Hence, the problem of the study is to ascertain the influence of polio immunisation media campaigns on knowledge and attitude of Lafia residents towards polio immunization.

Objective of the Study

The main objective of the study is to ascertain the influence of polio immunisation media campaigns on knowledge and attitude of Lafia residents towards immunization in Nasarawa State. Specifically, the study intends to:

1.    To determine the extent of Lafia residents exposure to polio media campaigns.

2.    To ascertain the medium the Lafia residents most frequently access polio campaign messages from.

3.    To ascertain whether the knowledge of Lafia residents about polio has improved as a result of exposure to polio immunization campaigns.

4.    To determine the attitude of Lafia residents towards the polio media campaigns.  

Research Questions

 The following research questions were formulated to guide the study

1.      To what extent do Lafia residents expose themselves to polio media campaigns?

2.      What medium do Lafia residents frequently access polio campaign messages from?

3.      To what extent has the knowledge of Lafia residents improved as result of exposure to polio media campaigns?

4.      What is the attitude of Lafia residents towards the polio media campaigns?

Significance of Study

The study shall provide information to the Ministry of Health and World Health Organisation on how the influence of polio media campaigns on the knowledge and attitude of Lafia residents towards immunization in eradicating of polio. The study will help media houses to know which media platform is more suitable to the residents of Lafia in creating poliomyelitis awareness.

The result of the study will also show how these messages have affected the behaviours of the residents LafiL. The finding of this research will be beneficial to radio stations, international agencies and NGOs that design and package polio messages for parents as it will enable them know the best kind of messages that will be accepted by the parents.

This work will also add to existing literature in this area of study thereby providing other researchers with credible material to assist them in their research work.

Scope of the Study

The primary focus of this research work is to determine the influence of polio immunization media campaigns on knowledge and attitude of Lafia towards polio immunization. Therefore, the research shall be limited to Lafia, the capital of Nasarawa State.

1.7 Definition of terms

Influence: It is the ability of the media to enhance the knowledge of the residents of Lafia City on polio immunization and make them to take preventive actions.

Poliomyelitis: Is a high contagious disease caused by a virus that attacks the nervous system. It can lead to paralysis.

Media campaign: This is an organized communication through the media to persuade the audience to support or reject an intervention.

Knowledge: This connotes the extent to which residents of Lafia, Nigeria understand what poliomyelitis is all about.

Attitude: Attitude means the behaviour of a person in a certain manner towards someone, something or an idea.

Practice: It is an activity or exercise repeatedly or regularly in order to acquire, improve or maintain proficiency in it. 

Lafia resident: This refers to individuals/people residing in Lafia, the Nasarawa State Capital.